The Price of Strawberries
by Ecostume
Summary: A new spin on the story of Rapunzel in which the witch is not quite so evil, and the parents really aren't the victims at all.
1. How it all started

The Price of Strawberries

Once, in the Kingdom of Lurindell, there lived a young baker and his wife. They had two sons—beautiful boys with bight blue eyes and their father's curly, dark hair. The baker made good bread, and was honest with his prices. The wife kept a tidy household in their quarters above the shop. They were all very happy, and the wife was expecting their third child. She was looking out the window into the garden next door when she saw the most beautiful strawberries. It was rather too late in the year for there to be strawberries still on the plants, and seeing them made her mouth water.

The woman next door was known to be rather reclusive. She was rarely seen in town, and no one came to call on her. It was reputed in the town that she was a witch, but no one had any proof of that, and most people passed it off as old gossip.

For days the baker's wife pestered him about the strawberries, but he was afraid. He had tried to find strawberries somewhere else, but was told that they had been out of season for a month. While he didn't normally hold with gossip, he had seen strange lights coming from behind the curtains of the house next door late at night. He was afraid. One night, he had finally had enough from his wife, and he carefully crept over the wall into the woman's garden.

He was just making his way back over the wall, when the woman's back door opened.

"Stop, thief!" she called out. The baker turned to her in shame, and spilled the whole story. "If you had asked," the woman replied, "I would have given the berries to you freely. But theft I cannot allow. Take the berries, and I will give you as many as your wife desires, but I will demand something from you in return. If the child is a girl, I will come for her on her twelfth birthday and take her with me. She will become my daughter."

"What! But you…"

"Silence. This is my demand. If you do not comply I will have you arrested as a thief and you will lose your hand, as the law allows. How will you support your family then?"

The man bowed his head, and returned home. Every day there was a basket of strawberries at his door. The couple despaired at the price the berries were bought at, and prayed that the child would be another son.

In the proper time, the wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl. That night they heard a knock at the door. The baker answered it and found the woman on his front step. She was tall, as tall as a man, but slender and graceful. She had dark hair the color of blood, and wore a voluminous black cloak. She followed him up the stairs and took the girl in her arms.

"I name you Lavinia, little one. In twelve years I shall take you away from this place and show you many wonderful things. Be well, my child." With that, she kissed Lavinia on the forehead and left.

Her parents refused to call her Lavinia. They christened her Celia, and never told her about their promise to the witch. In fact the woman had vanished after the girl was born, and her parents hoped she had left for good. Celia was always a pretty child. She had the same sparkling blue eyes her brothers did, but she had her mother's golden blond hair and fair skin. She had a sunny disposition, and was always kind to others. She was the perfect child. Her parents had other children over the next ten years: twin boys followed Celia two years later, and a fifth son came three years after that. Celia learned how to sew from her mother and by the age of ten her needlework was considered some of the best in the county.

Celia's mother found herself pregnant again in Celia's eleventh year, and gave birth to another baby girl on the morning of her twelfth birthday. Both her parents were so busy fussing over the new child that neither one noticed her slip out. She had intended to go into town to get some more thread for a new quilt she was making to add to her hope chest, and on her return she was stopped by a tall read-haired woman within a few feet of her home.

"Today is your twelfth birthday, is it not child?" the woman asked. "tell me, what do your parent's call you?"

"My name is Celia, Ma'am" the girl replied, respectfully.

"And you live here?" Celia nodded. "Did your parent's ever tell you a story about strawberries? Or about the day you were born?"

"No, Ma'am. My mother hates strawberries. We never have any at home. Sometimes I go and pick wild ones in the woods in spring time, but I always eat them all before I come home."

"I see. Well then, I think it's time you were told why your mother dislikes strawberries. You see, that was not always the case, it is more what her strawberries cost her that she resents." As she spoke, the woman ushered Celia into the house next to her father's shop. "I used to live in this house. When your mother was pregnant with you, she got a craving for my strawberries, and rather than simply asking for them, your father decided to sneak into my garden at midnight and steal them. I caught him and told him that because he had decided to steal from me instead of ask for what would have been freely given, I would demand a price from him. I told him that I would claim the child his wife was carrying on her twelfth birthday, if the child proved to be a girl. I told him that if he did not, I would have him arrested as a thief, and he would loose his hand. He chose the first option, sacrificing his daughter for the sake of being able to provide for the rest of his family, without a moment's hesitation. Will you come with me of your own free will, child?"

"What happens if I say no?"

"It is far too late for me to level any charges, and I doubt that the officials would do much if I did, so long after the fact. I can do no more than try to tarnish his good name a little, by spreading the story."

"But that would still be a broken promise, and promises are not made to be broken. I will keep my father's word. May I go collect my things and say goodbye to my family, Ma'am?"

"Of course you may, little one. And there is no need to call me 'Ma'am,' my name is Helena. I named you Lavinia when you were born. Now go and get your things. Meet me here when you are finished. I'll be getting the wagon ready for our departure. Take everything you care about, because we will not be coming back."

Lavinia ran back to her parent's home. She made her way up the stairs and noticed that almost all of her family was still clustered around her new sister. She heard her mother whisper to her father "even if that old witch does come for Celia, God has granted us a fine daughter to replace her." At these words, the girl ran to her room and started to cry. She had not noticed that her eldest brother, Adrian, had also overheard her mother's comment, and had seen her standing in the shadows. He came into her room, sat next to her on the bed, and held her while she cried.

"I know. I met her out on the road just now, I know everything," she sobbed.

"Shh, it'll all turn out alright somehow. I promise."

"She said her name is Helena. She told me the whole story. I shouldn't have had to hear it from her! They should have told me!"

"Yes, they should have. Why hasn't she taken you yet?"

"She told me she wouldn't force me. She said it was up to me to keep my father's word. I told her I would and asked her if I could come back to pack and say goodbye. But now I wonder if our parents ever loved me at all, after all, I've just been replaced."

"I'll help you pack, and no one will ever replace you in my heart."

They carefully packed all her things in the wooden chest that was at the foot of Lavinia's bed. It already held six quilts she had made, two table cloths, two sets of bed linens, a beautiful embroidered shawl she had gotten at a country fair last year, and the fabric she was saving for her wedding gown. Into it went her favorite scarlet skirt, which she had embroidered in black and gold, and the green skirt that she had just finished making last month. She then placed her three other shirts in the chest along with four spare chemises, and her warm flannel nightgown. Two more wool shawls went into the trunk, as did her spare bodice. The embroidered apron and cap she wore at festivals was placed near the top, along with her sewing basket. Finally, she placed her old doll and her green hair ribbon in the chest and was about to close the lid when Adrian stopped her.

"Wait; there are a couple more things I have for you. I'll be right back." He left the room and came back with several parcels. "Here, these are your birthday presents. This is the one from Mum and Dad," he handed her the first package. The present was wrapped in a beautiful green scarf, and it proved to be a set of carved bone combs. "I heard them talking about trying to get you betrothed to the sheriff's youngest son, if the witch didn't come for you. They said that you were pretty enough, and skilled enough with a needle to get him, and that it would be quite a step up for them. This next one is from the rest of the boys." It was wrapped in enough white linen to make a shirt, and proved to be a collection of items: a small wood handled knife and a slim bone handled dagger were probably from Edmund—he was apprenticed to a blacksmith. The twins had given her a small strand of carved wooden beads, some of which they had made themselves, and some of which were probably made by their best friend's father, the local carpenter and wood carver. Little Gregory had given her a dozen lumpy, hand dipped candles. These too, he had probably made himself, with the help of one of his siblings, or an adult. Finally, Adrian produced his own present. This one was also wrapped in fabric—in this case it was several yards of heavy rust colored wool. "Phoebe spun and wove the wool. The yarn in there is from her too. I thought you would put it to good use, and I'm especially glad now." Phoebe was the girl Adrian was in love with. He had asked for her hand in marriage, and had received her father's blessing. They were going to get married as soon as Adrian had established himself in his chosen trade of tanning and leatherworking.

Inside the wool Lavinia found several skeins of wool yarn in rust, green, and blue. There was also a leather belt with a sturdy steel buckle and a leather purse to go on it. The purse was embossed in a twisting floral pattern, and had been dyed a dark forest green. Finally there was a new pair of shoes in the bundle. "The purse is my best piece so far. I'm almost done with my apprenticeship," Adrian explained.

"It's beautiful."

"I also bundled up some bread and a bit of cheese for you. There's also some dried fruit, and a couple of other things in there. It's not much, but I can't let you go without giving you something to eat. Here are some dried herbs if you need them. I also want you to take this." He pressed a small pouch into her hands. She opened it to find three gold coins, and a handful of silver.

"I can't take this, you've worked so hard for it!"

"I'll make it again in a year or two, I've already gotten a couple of commissions. I want you to take it. You may need it more than me. Phoebe would agree with me if I had time to tell her, you know she would."

"Alright, thank you. I love you so much! I'll miss you. Say goodbye to Edmund and the younglings for me." With that, Lavinia packed her presents in her chest and put on her cloak. She placed the knife, wallet of herbs and several handkerchiefs in the purse from Adrian, and then belted it around her waist. The money pouch went on a cord around her neck and under her shirt. Finally, she picked up canvas wrapped food and headed out the door. Adrian followed with the chest.

They made their way out to Helena's house, and found her waiting in front by a plain looking wagon hitched to a large grey farm horse. Adrian loaded the chest into the back of the wagon, and held his sister tightly as they both said goodbye. Finally, he released her, and watched her climb into the wagon next to a woman he knew nothing about.

He knew in his hart that he would not see her for many years. He watched them leave and continued to watch until they disappeared over the hill. Then he turned back and went to tell his family that she was gone. The baker and his wife paid their eldest son little attention, and they turned back to their new daughter. They named her Mariana, and forgot about the daughter they had traded for strawberries.


	2. On The Road to a New Life

Lavinia sat next to Helena in silence until they stopped for the evening. Helena halted their wagon in a small field to the side of the country road they had been making their way down. A camp was quickly set up, and the evening was clear and surprisingly warm for the season.

"You have been surprisingly quiet for a girl who has just found herself completely uprooted from the home and family she knew." It had been four hours since Lavinia had been informed by the tall woman she now accompanied that her father had exchanged her for some stolen strawberries when her mother was still pregnant with her. Helena had come to collect her on her twelfth birthday, as promised, to find the girl completely unaware of the situation and living under a different name than the one that Helena had chosen for her.

"I was thinking. Today has been a bit of a shock, and I needed some time to process it all. I still don't understand what I'm doing here, or why you want me." Lavinia sat down near the small campfire so that she could keep an eye on the kettle that held their dinner for the night.

"Why was your brother the only one to accompany you back to meet me? I would have thought your parents would have wanted to spend every second with you. I was even prepared to wait until tomorrow morning to set out."

"I… I didn't even say goodbye to them. When I came up the stairs to tell them about you I overheard mother whispering to Papa about the new baby, how she would replace me if you came to take me away."

"What new baby?"

"My new baby sister, she was just born this morning. I thought that if I was so easily replaced, there wasn't much point in saying goodbye."

"So that's why you had been crying, not because you were sad to be leaving, but because you felt that you weren't wanted."

"Yes. I guess that Adrian overheard them, and saw me in the doorway. He followed me to my room and held me while I cried. He helped me pack, and even gave me my birthday presents. That's when I found out my parents were trying to get rid of me soon anyway. They had got me a set of combs for my birthday, and were already starting to look for a husband for me, one that would pay a good bride price. They didn't even ask me first!"

"You poor child, I've never understood why people try to marry off their daughters so young. It can be downright cruel, sometimes. What else did you get for your birthday?"

"Edmund gave me a dagger and a little knife. He's apprenticed to the blacksmith, and I think he made them himself. The twins carved me some wooden beads. Well, they did some of the carving, they're ten, and I think Master Greenbow helped them. He's the local carpenter, and his son and the twins are the best of friends. Little Gregory gave me some candles. They're a bit lumpy, but I'm sure they'll work. He's only seven, and he hand dipped them. Adrian and his intended, Phoebe, gave me several yards of good wool cloth, some nice wool yarn, and Adrian made me this belt and purse."

"They're beautiful, child. Your brothers, at least, seem to hold you in great affection. I am glad that your parents had not yet arranged a marriage for you. You do not seem like the kind of girl who aspires to nothing more than the life of a brood mare housekeeper. What questions do you have for me?"

"Who are you exactly, and what do you expect from me?"

"Excellent questions, both of them. My name, as I told you is Helena. Helena Brightstar. I am a witch. No, not the kind that lures witless children to their deaths in the woods; I am a practitioner of white magic. That is why I asked you to come with me, I did not demand it. White magic is not by nature a magic of force, but of choice and consequences. I also have some skill in earth magic, and have a bit of training with neutral or grey magic. I never use black magic, it eats away at a person's soul and takes on a life of its own.

"For your second question, I expect nothing more from you than what you are willing to do. I will teach you all I know, if you wish. You seem to have the right temperament for it, and the right morals, or you would never have upheld your father's promise voluntarily when given a choice. That's why I provided you with one. It was a test. I have always wanted a daughter, one I could teach and train and love, but a witch's life is not well suited to the raising of a small child, and few of us ever have children. It is not the easiest life, for with the power comes the obligation to protect those who ask for our help. Most of us take on an apprentice when we get older, and then retreat to the most remote place we can find, so we are not pestered by every fool and dreamer."

"I think I should like that. At least it sounds better than being sold off to the sheriff's youngest son."

"Almost anything would be, in my opinion, especially if the son is anything like how I remember the father."

"I wouldn't know. Where are we going?"

"We're to meet up with some friends of mine in Audenburg. They're a group of traveling performers, mostly gypsies. They travel from town to town making a living juggling, tumbling, dancing, singing, and performing daring feats of "Magic." There's little to no real magic involved, but they're kind hearted to their friends, and fiercely loyal. Tell me, do you sing? I usually wrap myself in colorful scarves and read fortunes for giggling maidens and gossipy housewives."

"I'm no great singer, but I can dance a little. Just the country dances we did during festivals, nothing special. I was always better with a needle and thread."

"Is the work on your blouse your own?"

"Yes. It is."

"Will you show me the contents of your trunk while we wait for out dinner to cook? I promise, everything that is yours will remain so. I can even help you protect your trunk better when we have reached Audenburg and I can have a bit of time to work on it."

"I would like that. Can you help me with the trunk? It's a bit heavy for me on my own."

The two decided to simply clime into the wagon, rather than take the trunk down. Out of the trunk came Lavinia's birthday presents, as well as several lengths of fabric and her sewing basket. Lavinia had two other skirts, and three other shirts-one other was heavily embroidered and the other two had been left mostly plain, with only a bit of black work around the collar and cuffs. She took out the plainest of her skirts and shirts, along with a clean chemise, to change into for the rest of the journey.

In the trunk she also had a heavily embroidered apron and cap she wore for festivals, an embroidered bodice she had made to mach her scarlet skirt and a brightly embroidered shawl she had traded for at a fair last year because she wished to copy the patterns stitched on it. She had traded an intricately decorated sash for it, and the woman who she had traded with was just as pleased as she had been, probably for similar reasons. Two other, more practical shawls were also in the trunk as well as the linens, quilts and fabric she had set aside for her hope chest and a few other odds and ends.

"Good, you have something to wear once we join the troupe in Audenburg. Now, why don't we see about washing up in that stream before dinner?"

Helena helped Lavinia pack everything back into her trunk before they both made their way just far enough into the woods down stream that they could keep an eye on their camp, but were out of sight of the road. There was a small pool that formed along one side of the stream that was about waist deep, and very clear. Both women shed their clothing and Helena produced a bar of fragrant soap that smelled strongly of rosemary. Helena's deep red hair fell just past her waist, and she immediately started to work the soap into her hair once it was wet. Lavinia spent several minutes picking hair-pins out of her own hair before uncoiling the large knot it had been confined to, leaving her with a long braid that fell to her knees. Once unbraided, her golden hair came nearly down to her feet. Lavinia slowly eased her way into the cool stream water to join Helena, and then started to work soap into her own hair, relishing the fact that she did not have five brothers waiting impatiently and trying to hurry her along. The water was a bit cooler than she preferred, but she was acclimating to it quickly. Helena looked up from where she was now rinsing the soap out of her hair and gasped.

"My goodness, you really do have a lot of hair. It's beautiful, but may be a bit impractical on the road." Helena's own hair, now dripping wet, looked as if it had been drenched in blood, and contrasted sharply with her fair skin and intense green eyes.

"Mother always insisted that I keep it as long as possible until after I was married," Lavinia replied. "She said it was one of my best assets. Should I cut it?"

"It's up to you, child. You're the one whose head it's attached to. I've just always found my hair easier to maintain if I keep it waist length when I'm on the road for a while. We'll be with the troupe for at least the next seven months, so you might want to think about it. If you do decide to cut it, you could probably sell it for a goodly sum to someone who makes wigs for rich nobles whose own hair is going unfashionably grey and thin."

"I'll cut it then. It was always Mother who insisted on keeping it long. I always thought it was a bit of trouble anyway. Seems she was just trying to increase my profit value. Would you help me when we're done here?"

"Of course."

The two emerged from the stream some time later, and carefully dried themselves off, and put on clean chemises, then wrapped themselves in their cloaks and brought the rest of their clothing back to their camp. Helena fetched her own comb and a pair of sharp scissors. She first combed out her own hair and then sat behind Lavinia to start combing through hers. The rich golden color of Lavinia's glowed in the light of the dying sun as Helena slowly worked the tangles out. When she finally finished she reached the scissors and asked Lavinia "Are you sure?"

"Quiet sure. Think of it as one more way in which I can shed my parent's influence and greed."

"Alright, how short would you like me to cut it?"

"About to my waist, like yours."

"Ok, it'll be a bit hard to judge, hair tends to stretch when it's wet."

"That's fine, I don't care if it's a bit shorter. It's not like I'm trying to snare a husband or anything, and it always grows back."

"That's true." With that Helena took a short length of yarn and tied Lavinia's hair together several inches below where she intended to cut it. She then took the hair in her left hand and the scissors in her right and cut the hair off roughly at Lavinia's waist level. Helena handed Lavinia the severed bundle and then trimmed the ends even while Lavinia braided the cut hair into a tidy rope and tied it off with another bit of yarn. Lavinia's hair dried into loose curls that fell just short of her waist.

The two women re-dressed when they felt that they were mostly dry. By then the beans were cooked enough to eat and they both enjoyed a warm supper before rolling up in their cloaks and a couple of wool blankets for the night.

They continued on the next morning and spent the next two nights similarly to the first one. Lavinia discovered that Helena would take the opportunity to bathe whenever possible. Lavinia's mother had always claimed that bathing more than once a week was unnecessary and put you in peril of washing away your soul. Helena claimed that that was sheer nonsense and told Lavinia that it was actually much healthier to remain as clean as possible, as it helped to prevent disease and infection.

They crested the top of a small hill just before sunset on their third full day of travel to see a large town laid out below them on the banks of a river. No more than a mile away from the town, on a near by hill was perched an imposing stone castle. Just outside of the town walls was set up an array of brightly colored tents, from which cheerful music could be heard. The tents were set up around a large fire, and people from the town were starting to make their way to a second small bonfire nearer to the town gates.

"looks like this is their first night in town as well, good. I was worried we'd beat them here and have to get a room at an inn for a night or two."

"Is this Audenbutg?"

"Yes, this is Audenburg."

"I've never seen a town this big before. I've never been farther than Upper Gerrik, for the county fair. Last year, I and several other girls from the village got together and set up a stand and I was able to make a bit of money off some of my embroidery. Phoebe sold some of her yarn and a couple of rugs she had made, and a couple of other girls had embroidery and lace they had done up. Of course, my parents took most of the money I made from the whole thing, but it was fun, and I was able to trade for that shawl. Some of the money went for the fabric for my wedding dress. I have it in my trunk. I guess they were already thinking about marrying me off. I was just so excited that some of the money was actually going to something for myself."

"All of that money should have been yours, or gone to things for your hope chest. You're the one who earned it, and they had no right to take it from you."

"Maybe that's where they got the money for those combs. Besides, I'm just a girl, and they've fed me and clothed me and raised me for twelve years. They said they were entitled to anything I made. That it wasn't really mine anyway, that it really belonged to them."

"They were wrong. It was you who put all the time and effort into that embroidery, above and beyond any chores you had around the house I'm sure. They probably made you do the most of the sewing and mending for the whole household. I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner, child. I should have told them I would claim you when you were younger."

"I did have to do a great deal of the sewing and mending. Mother always said she had to do the cleaning and help Father with the bakery, and I should pull my own weight around the house. I also usually had to look after the little ones. She would go out visiting the neighbor women and leave me home to look after my younger brothers once I was seven or so. I wasn't allowed out much though; there were always more chores for me to do."

"I think I'm really starting to hate your mother. She's probably going to do the same thing to your sister, you know. I've half a mind to spirit her away in the night in a year or two, just to save her from your parents. I can't save every girl from her greedy parents though."

By this point they had reached the encampment of the traveling entertainers. A tall, dark haired, dark eyed, golden skinned man in black leather boots and trousers, a red sash and colorful vest came out of one of the tents to greet them.

"Helena, I see you've picked up the girl. What a lovely young lady she is! We just got here, so don't worry about tonight, just get settled and we can talk after we've given the good people of Audenburg a taste of what we can do. We'll be working tomorrow night as well and then all day the next. Now, introduce me to this golden haired beauty of yours."

"Lavinia, this is Marrin. He's more or less in charge of the Sparrowstar troupe of traveling entertainers. Marrin, this is Lavinia, my new apprentice."

"Splendid! A true pleasure to meet you miss Lavinia. Do you by any chance sing or play an instrument? I whuldn't expect a girl like you to be taught how to tumble or juggle. You are a bit young, perhaps, to be dancing and entertaining the men."

"I should certainly think so, Marrin! She's twelve."

"I'm not much of a singer, and I've never really entertained others. I spent most of my time in doors. I can sew and cook, and I've made a bit of money with my embroidery, but my parents tended to keep me away from people outside the family. I had two older brothers and three younger. They made sure I could hold my own in a fight. Oh, my second brother was apprenticed to a blacksmith. He and the other apprentice learned how to juggle knives and daggers in their spare time. He taught me how two summers ago. I may need a bit of practice, but if I could get my hands on a set of daggers, I'm pretty sure that I could get that sorted out fairly quickly. I could probably juggle other things too."

"Well, my nimble fingered lass, who would have thought that a baker's daughter could juggle knives. Can you throw them as well?"

"I can usually hit a target well enough. Better than my brothers anyway."

"Good. Helena, tomorrow see if you can get the girl a set of daggers and knives. One she can use for both performance and as real weapons. I like having people who can defend themselves. We'll see if she can work with Marc. Melina ran off with some merchant's son two weeks ago, and he's never been good at solo performance. He doesn't have the showmanship his sister did. He can teach her some archery as well, if you find that acceptable. Melina's costumes might be a bit big, but I'm sure if she's clever with her needle, our fair haired lass can bring them down to her size. How long will you ladies be with us?"

"We'll stay on with you through the touring season," Helena responded, "I'm not sure if we'll winter with the troop or not, but it's just as easy for me to teach her the first year or two on the road as it would be holed up in some cottage somewhere. I'm harder to find this way too."

"Alonzo giving you trouble again?"

"Yes, he's looking for me again, bastard. He's been giving me nothing but trouble for the last twenty years. Why do you think I keep attaching myself to tiny villages and traveling caravans? The bugger hates to get his boots muddy, and refuses to mingle with common folk. He's got himself a nice tower now. It's in the middle of some forest, and he's got it warded to stop an army, from what I've heard. I also heard that one of the wards stops all magic except his own from working for more than a mile in any direction. He caught himself some pretty young journeyman mage and used his life force to set the wards according to the rumors, and he wants my blood to finish the job. That's why he's been especially persistent for the last two years. He wants to use me to finish the wards."

"No sense of family, your brother. He has absolutely no heart."

"It's the magic, he got greedy and delved into the black arts. Now there's no turning back for him, and I'm no where near powerful enough to take him on my own."

"Wait a minute," piped up Lavinia, "who's this brother of yours? Is he dangerous?"

"Alonzo was my brother, before he got so deep into the black magics that it twisted his soul. He is extremely dangerous. He has a taste for innocent young women and bloodshed, but I have no intention of letting him find us. As I said, he hates to get his boots muddy and mingle with the common folk. He's not likely to find us with a band of traveling entertainers, and I can usually feel him coming from several miles away. That's plenty of time to get away and hide from him. He doesn't know about you, and I have no intention of letting him find out that I've taken an apprentice. I'm most likely to leave you with the troupe if I have to go hide down a hole for a while. You'll be safe with Marrin.

"I'll take you into town tomorrow and we'll sell that braid of yours. That should pay for a hansom set of daggers, and still leave you a fair sum to put away. We can also pick up several other items you will need, and I have a couple of errands as well. As my apprentice, I'll pay most of your living costs, though those will be few while we're with the troupe, but it's always good to have a stash of funds for an emergency. Any money you earn will be your own. I'll do something about that trunk of yours tonight."

"Braid?" Marrin asked.

"Yes, Lavinia's parents, especially her mother, saw her as a way to make themselves a good bit of profit. They kept most of her earnings from her embroidery, and were doing there very best to arrange a marriage for her that would pay them the best bride price, with no thought about how she would be treated by her future husband once she as married. Her mother insisted on making her grow her hair out as long as possible, probably to make her more enticing to the wrong sort of high paying men, and it was nearly down to her feet. She had me cut it, and we saved the braid to sell once we got to a large enough town to have a wig maker."

"Ah, you'll be far happier with us than married to some rich pig of a man Miss Lavinia. We may be a bit disreputable in some circles, but we never mistreat our women. A girl who juggles knives and apprentices herself to a sorceress is far too intelligent to waste on some landowners fat son."

"Especially when the father is known to have a wandering eye and a taste for young girls in his bed," Helena added under her breath, but loudly enough for both of her companions to hear. "We'll just get set up here, Marrin, and let you get back to the entrainment of somewhat gullible townsfolk. Who's running the fortune telling booth tonight?"

"Sadly, my dear mother is sick tonight, so we shall be without a fortune teller for the night. Can I expect that you will assume the role tomorrow night for us? Or would you prefer to charm the gentlemen with your dancing?"

"I'll tell fortunes. You've got plenty of other dancers, and those gossiping housewives pay good money for me to tell them how many fat grandchildren they have, or if the handsome young shopkeeper on the corner is secretly pining for them, despite their married status, or if their rich uncle is going to suddenly die and leave them all his money. I thank my lucky stars that Clarissa found me when she did and made me her apprentice, else I'd probably be one of those gullible, fat gossipers myself. We shall see you after the show tonight, and then I can introduce Lavinia to the rest of the group."

Marrin wandered off as Helena and Lavinia started to pitch a tent of their own, and unload their wagon. Each woman set out a bed roll for herself inside the tent and Helena retrieved a small brazier over which could be set a warming plate for tea water and the like. A young woman of 16 joined them once the show outside had started.

The young woman had ebony black hair and the same golden colored skin that Marrin had had and she resembled him greatly. She was dressed in black boots and trousers and wore a dark green shirt under an embroidered black vest. Her thick, curling hair had been caught at the base of her neck with a black cord. She greeted Helena warmly with a hug and kiss.

"Hello, Aunt Helena. Father said you had arrived. I don't usually perform for the evening shows anymore. My riding is good enough that Father said I could quit dancing now." It was at this point she noticed Lavinia. "Hello, you must be Lavinia. I'm Alissia. I believe you met my father, Marrin?" Lavinia nodded. "Good. I think we shall be great friends, I have a good feeling about you. Aunt Helena, I have a favor to ask. Father said that you were going in to town tomorrow, and that one of your stops would be at a wigmakers, to sell off a braid of Lavinia's. Now that I don't have to dance anymore, I'd rather keep my hair short. It'll be easier to ride if I don't have to worry about wisps blowing in my face, and I'm getting frightfully tired of the village men making grabs at me or pinching me. wearing pants all the time does not seem to pose enough of a deterrent to them. If I ask nicely, will you cut my hair as well and take the braid in with you to sell? I'm afraid that if I just go to the wig maker and let them do it, they'll cheat me, or cut my hair too short. I still have to look good on a horse, I just don't want to look so feminine!"

Lavinia's eyes widened a bit at this. A woman keeping her hair waist length for ease of care while traveling was one thing, but for a woman to want short hair was a daring and scandalous thought. She had never seen a woman with short hair! Alissia noticed the younger girl's expression, and smiled. "You'll find that most of us don't hold much with the arbitrary morals and values that most society does. We're far too practical. I'm a trick rider for the troupe, and my hair is more of a hindrance than anything else when I'm on a horse. It's always escaping and getting in my eyes, and I don't particularly like the risk of it getting caught in my gear at the wrong moment. While I was still learning my riding tricks, I also had to join the girls who dance. Everyone has to pitch in around here. This season two of the younger girls joined the dancers, so that left me to concentrate on my riding full time. This is only our second stop of the season, and my mother is a bit scandalized. She doesn't think trick riding is something a girl should be doing. She's a singer herself, and when I mentioned that I intended to cut my hair short, she had a bit of a fit, but Father said I was old enough to make my own choices, and she calmed down a bit when I told her it might discourage the townsmen a bit. People tend to think that just because we make our living entertaining others we have no morals at all. It's frustrating sometimes, but I can't imagine any other life."

By this time Helena had found her scissors and Alissia had untied her long hair. Loose, it fell well past her hips. "Dancing girls have to have long hair. The whole point is to look as attractive as possible to the men. The singers are like that as well. We're selling an image as much as any performance we enact. That's another reason I want short hair, it will make me look different, it will make me memorable. Besides being safer and more practical, I want to seem aloof and mysterious to the audiences. People enjoy seeing oddities in a show and a woman who dresses like a man and keeps her hair short is an oddity."

"How short would you like me to cut it?"

"It needs to stay out of my face, and still look attractive when it's been blown all over by my riding. You know how the other riders keep their hair—something like that. I trust your judgment, Aunt Helena."

"Lavinia, come gather up the hair as I cut it. We'll get a bit more length out of it that way, rather than if I simply braided it and cut off the braid, before cleaning up the hairstyle." With that Helena set to work with Alissia's hair, cutting off all but about two to three inches of it. The curly mass left on Alissia's head when Helena was done was messy but not unattractive, even when Helena ruffled her fingers through it. Lavinia was left with a lap full of curly black hair which she tied into a bundle with Alissia's discarded hair tie.

Alissia examined her new hairstyle in Helena's hand mirror. "Thanks Aunt Helena, this is exactly what I wanted."

"Are you coming into town with us tomorrow?" asked Lavinia. She was starting to like this talkative, if somewhat odd girl. Her exuberance reminded Lavinia a bit of her twin brothers: Always talkative and friendly, and always trying one stunt or another, just for the mischief of it.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to, if that's alright with you two, but I'm not sure if Father is going to need me around tomorrow. Marc's been a bit down since his sister Melina ran off. They had a couple of fabulous knife and dagger routines, but I honestly don't miss her a bit. She was a bit obnoxious, and spent way to much time flirting with the locals for her own good. She never really loved the work the way most of the rest of us do, she just saw it as a way to make money and have an adventure at the same time. When the adventure wore off she started looking for some young handsome local she could seduce into marring her and providing her with the comfortable life she thought she deserved. Marc's got a good head on his shoulders, and he enjoys the work more than his sister ever did, but I think he was a bit blind to her attitudes, and she broke his heart when she left. It didn't help that she just upped and took off with out even a proper goodbye. She left him stranded with a two person act and only one performer. He looked so lost that night after he found her note. He's been a bit lost ever since. Father's a bit concerned about him, but we don't have anyone to partner with him."

"Marrin said something about paring me with someone named Marc. One of my brothers taught me to juggle and throw daggers a couple of years ago. I'm probably terribly rusty, but I'm hoping that I can get up to some kind of decent shape fairly quickly."

"That's fabulous! We've got Marc doing some basic juggling and knife tricks right now, but Melina was the real showman. He's actually terribly shy when you put him by himself in front of a crowd. You'll love him though, he's got such a kind heart. I just don't understand how Melina could go and do something like this to him."

"It sounds like someone has a bit of a crush on dear Marc, Alissia," Helena injected.

"Marc and I have started seeing a great deal of each other since last winter. We haven't really gone much farther than kissing, but Father knows about it and we have his full support."

"I see. Good for you then. Marc will probably be good for you. Just promise me you'll wait a few years before you start having kids together, and that you won't keep riding the way you do when you do get pregnant. I want strong, healthy godchildren to spoil rotten."

"I have no intention of having children any time in the near future. You taught me how to keep from getting pregnant when I don't want to, and neither of us are going to be ready to have children for several years at least, no matter how much my mother wants grandchildren."

"So, are you two actually related? You keep calling Helena 'Aunt?'" Lavinia asked Alissia.

"No, we're not actually related. Aunt Helena helped my father out of a bit of trouble shortly before I was born, and he asked her to join the troupe and be my godmother shortly after that. She's been with the troupe off and on for the past sixteen years. Sometimes she stays for a month or two, some times she spends a season with us. She's wintered with us twice, and she's never been gone for more than four years. I know of at least three cottages or houses she owns, in different towns or villages, but we have always considered her one of us. She's family, and because of her, you're family too now, Lavinia Brightstar."

"What?" Lavinia looked from Alissia to Helena with confusion. Helena answered her.

"Child, you're not just an apprentice, you're something of an adopted daughter. You are using the name I gave you and became my daughter when you accepted my claim on you."

"Oh. Well, I'm OK with that, I guess."

"So, who were you before you fell in with us?" Alissia asked. "We've got plenty of time to talk before the townsfolk clear out for the evening."

"I was a baker's daughter, in Lower Gerrik. I had two older brothers and three younger ones. Oh, I had a brand new baby sister, as well. We were all exceptionally normal, or I thought we were until a few days ago. Other than Edmund's secret knife juggling lessons, I was the perfect daughter. I was good at embroidery, and was generally kept close to home. I found out that my parents had started husband shopping on my birthday, when Helena came for me."

"Husband shopping? You can't be more than thirteen or so!"

"Twelve. Girls marry young in the country. It's supposed to keep us out of mischief."

"But then how old are the husbands?"

"Oh, boys don't get married until they finish their apprenticeship, at least. My oldest brother, Adrian, is 18, and he's courting the local tailor and weaver's daughter. Phoebe's fifteen. She's actually one of my best friends. The two of us got together last summer with a couple of other girls from the village and had a booth at the fair in Upper Gerrik. I sold some of my embroidery, she had several small rugs and tapestries she had woven, and a couple other girls had some lace they had been working on. It was great fun, and we all took turns minding the booth. Of course, my parents took most of the money I made from the whole thing, but it was fun."

"You didn't get to keep what you earned? That's outrageous!"

"Country people tend to view daughters more as property than as individual people, Alissia," Helena interjected. "Fortunately I managed to snag Lavinia before her parents sold her off to the Sheriff's youngest son, or someone else equally disgusting. She's far to intelligent for that."

"Welcome to a better life, Lavinia. I'm sure you'll love it here." With that Alissia grabbed the younger girl in a friendly hug, and ended up knocking the both of them over onto the floor of the tent, where they sprawled in a tangle of arms and legs. Giggling, they managed to extricate themselves and then spent the next hour chattering. Alissia decided to try to convince Marc to come into town with them the next day, in an attempt to cheer him up. When the sounds of the show outside died down, and they heard the townsfolk depart, the three women made their way out of the tent, and to the cooking fire that most of the tents were clustered around.


	3. Audenburg

Chapter 3: Audenburg

They continued on the next morning and spent the next two nights similarly to the first one. Lavinia discovered that Helena would take the opportunity to bathe whenever possible. Lavinia's mother had always claimed that bathing more than once a week was unnecessary and put you in peril of washing away your soul. Helena claimed that that was sheer nonsense and told Lavinia that it was actually much healthier to remain as clean as possible, as it helped to prevent disease and infection.

They crested the top of a small hill just before sunset on their third full day of travel to see a large town laid out below them on the banks of a river. No more than a mile away from the town, on a near by hill was perched an imposing stone castle. Just outside of the town walls was set up an array of brightly colored tents, from which cheerful music could be heard. The tents were set up around a large fire, and people from the town were starting to make their way to a second small bonfire nearer to the town gates.

"Looks like this is their first night in town as well, good. I was worried we'd beat them here and have to get a room at an inn for a night or two."

"Is this Audenburg?"

"Yes, this is Audenburg."

"I've never seen a town this big before. I've never been farther than Upper Gerrik, for the county fair. Last year, I and several other girls from the village got together and set up a stand and I was able to make a bit of money off some of my embroidery. Phoebe sold some of her yarn and a couple of rugs she had made, and a couple of other girls had embroidery and lace they had done up. Of course, my parents took most of the money I made from the whole thing, but it was fun, and I was able to trade for that shawl. Some of the money went for the fabric for my wedding dress. I have it in my trunk. I guess they were already thinking about marrying me off. I was just so excited that some of the money was actually going to something for myself."

"All of that money should have been yours, or gone to things for your hope chest. You're the one who earned it, and they had no right to take it from you."

"Maybe that's where they got the money for those combs. Besides, I'm just a girl, and they've fed me and clothed me and raised me for twelve years. They said they were entitled to anything I made. That it wasn't really mine anyway, that it really belonged to them."

"They were wrong. It was you who put all the time and effort into that embroidery, above and beyond any chores you had around the house I'm sure. They probably made you do the most of the sewing and mending for the whole household. I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner, child. I should have told them I would claim you when you were younger."

"I did have to do a great deal of the sewing and mending. Mother always said she had to do the cleaning and help Father with the bakery, and I should pull my own weight around the house. I also usually had to look after the little ones. She would go out visiting the neighbor women and leave me home to look after my younger brothers once I was seven or so. I wasn't allowed out much though; there were always more chores for me to do."

"I think I'm really starting to hate your mother. She's probably going to do the same thing to your sister, you know. I've half a mind to spirit her away in the night in a year or two, just to save her from your parents. I can't save every girl from her greedy parents though."

By this point they had reached the encampment of the traveling entertainers. A tall, dark haired, dark eyed, golden skinned man in black leather boots and trousers, a red sash and colorful vest came out of one of the tents to greet them.

"Helena, I see you've picked up the girl. What a lovely young lady she is! We just got here, so don't worry about tonight, just get settled and we can talk after we've given the good people of Audenburg a taste of what we can do. We'll be working tomorrow night as well and then all day the next. Now, introduce me to this golden haired beauty of yours."

"Lavinia, this is Marrin. He's more or less in charge of the Sparrowstar troupe of traveling entertainers. Marrin, this is Lavinia, my new apprentice."

"Splendid! A true pleasure to meet you miss Lavinia. Do you by any chance sing or play an instrument? I whuldn't expect a girl like you to be taught how to tumble or juggle. You are a bit young, perhaps, to be dancing and entertaining the men."

"I should certainly think so, Marrin! She's twelve."

"I'm not much of a singer, and I've never really entertained others. I spent most of my time in doors. I can sew and cook, and I've made a bit of money with my embroidery, but my parents tended to keep me away from people outside the family. I had two older brothers and three younger. They made sure I could hold my own in a fight. Oh, my second brother was apprenticed to a blacksmith. He and the other apprentice learned how to juggle knives and daggers in their spare time. He taught me how two summers ago. I may need a bit of practice, but if I could get my hands on a set of daggers, I'm pretty sure that I could get that sorted out fairly quickly. I could probably juggle other things too."

"Well, my nimble fingered lass, who would have thought that a baker's daughter could juggle knives. Can you throw them as well?"

"I can usually hit a target well enough. Better than my brothers anyway."

"Good. Helena, tomorrow see if you can get the girl a set of daggers and knives. One she can use for both performance and as real weapons. I like having people who can defend themselves. We'll see if she can work with Marc. Melina ran off with some merchant's son two weeks ago, and he's never been good at solo performance. He doesn't have the showmanship his sister did. He can teach her some archery as well, if you find that acceptable. Melina's costumes might be a bit big, but I'm sure if she's clever with her needle, our fair haired lass can bring them down to her size. How long will you ladies be with us?"

"We'll stay on with you through the touring season," Helena responded, "I'm not sure if we'll winter with the troop or not, but it's just as easy for me to teach her the first year or two on the road as it would be holed up in some cottage somewhere. I'm harder to find this way too."

"Alonzo giving you trouble again?"

"Yes, he's looking for me again, bastard. He's been giving me nothing but trouble for the last twenty years. Why do you think I keep attaching myself to tiny villages and traveling caravans? The bugger hates to get his boots muddy, and refuses to mingle with common folk. He's got himself a nice tower now. It's in the middle of some forest, and he's got it warded to stop an army, from what I've heard. I also heard that one of the wards stops all magic except his own from working for more than a mile in any direction. He caught himself some pretty young journeyman mage and used his life force to set the wards according to the rumors, and he wants my blood to finish the job. That's why he's been especially persistent for the last two years. He wants to use me to finish the wards."

"No sense of family, your brother. He has absolutely no heart."

"It's the magic, he got greedy and delved into the black arts. Now there's no turning back for him, and I'm no where near powerful enough to take him on my own."

"Wait a minute," piped up Lavinia, "who's this brother of yours? Is he dangerous?"

"Alonzo was my brother, before he got so deep into the black magics that it twisted his soul. He is extremely dangerous. He has a taste for innocent young women and bloodshed, but I have no intention of letting him find us. As I said, he hates to get his boots muddy and mingle with the common folk. He's not likely to find us with a band of traveling entertainers, and I can usually feel him coming from several miles away. That's plenty of time to get away and hide from him. He doesn't know about you, and I have no intention of letting him find out that I've taken an apprentice. I'm most likely to leave you with the troupe if I have to go hide down a hole for a while. You'll be safe with Marrin.

"I'll take you into town tomorrow and we'll sell that braid of yours. That should pay for a hansom set of daggers, and still leave you a fair sum to put away. We can also pick up several other items you will need, and I have a couple of errands as well. As my apprentice, I'll pay most of your living costs, though those will be few while we're with the troupe, but it's always good to have a stash of funds for an emergency. Any money you earn will be your own. I'll do something about that trunk of yours tonight."

"Braid?" Marrin asked.

"Yes, Lavinia's parents, especially her mother, saw her as a way to make themselves a good bit of profit. They kept most of her earnings from her embroidery, and were doing there very best to arrange a marriage for her that would pay them the best bride price, with no thought about how she would be treated by her future husband once she as married. Her mother insisted on making her grow her hair out as long as possible, probably to make her more enticing to the wrong sort of high paying men, and it was nearly down to her feet. She had me cut it, and we saved the braid to sell once we got to a large enough town to have a wig maker."

"Ah, you'll be far happier with us than married to some rich pig of a man Miss Lavinia. We may be a bit disreputable in some circles, but we never mistreat our women. A girl who juggles knives and apprentices herself to a sorceress is far too intelligent to waste on some landowners fat son."

"Especially when the father is known to have a wandering eye and a taste for young girls in his bed," Helena added under her breath, but loudly enough for both of her companions to hear. "We'll just get set up here, Marrin, and let you get back to the entrainment of somewhat gullible townsfolk. Who's running the fortune telling booth tonight?"

"Sadly, my dear mother is sick tonight, so we shall be without a fortune teller for the night. Can I expect that you will assume the role tomorrow night for us? Or would you prefer to charm the gentlemen with your dancing?"

"I'll tell fortunes. You've got plenty of other dancers, and those gossiping housewives pay good money for me to tell them how many fat grandchildren they have, or if the handsome young shopkeeper on the corner is secretly pining for them, despite their married status, or if their rich uncle is going to suddenly die and leave them all his money. I thank my lucky stars that Clarissa found me when she did and made me her apprentice, else I'd probably be one of those gullible, fat gossipers myself. We shall see you after the show tonight, and then I can introduce Lavinia to the rest of the group."


	4. A New Friend

Chapter 4: A New Friend

Marrin wandered off as Helena and Lavinia started to pitch a tent of their own, and unload their wagon. Each woman set out a bed roll for herself inside the tent and Helena retrieved a small brazier over which could be set a warming plate for tea water and the like. A young woman of 16 joined them once the show outside had started.

The young woman had ebony black hair and the same golden colored skin that Marrin had had and she resembled him greatly. She was dressed in black boots and trousers and wore a dark green shirt under an embroidered black vest. Her thick, curling hair had been caught at the base of her neck with a black cord. She greeted Helena warmly with a hug and kiss.

"Hello, Aunt Helena. Father said you had arrived. I don't usually perform for the evening shows anymore. My riding is good enough that Father said I could quit dancing now." It was at this point she noticed Lavinia. "Hello, you must be Lavinia. I'm Alissia. I believe you met my father, Marrin?" Lavinia nodded. "Good. I think we shall be great friends, I have a good feeling about you. Aunt Helena, I have a favor to ask. Father said that you were going in to town tomorrow, and that one of your stops would be at a wigmakers, to sell off a braid of Lavinia's. Now that I don't have to dance anymore, I'd rather keep my hair short. It'll be easier to ride if I don't have to worry about wisps blowing in my face, and I'm getting frightfully tired of the village men making grabs at me or pinching me. wearing pants all the time does not seem to pose enough of a deterrent to them. If I ask nicely, will you cut my hair as well and take the braid in with you to sell? I'm afraid that if I just go to the wig maker and let them do it, they'll cheat me, or cut my hair too short. I still have to look good on a horse, I just don't want to look so feminine!"

Lavinia's eyes widened a bit at this. A woman keeping her hair waist length for ease of care while traveling was one thing, but for a woman to want short hair was a daring and scandalous thought. She had never seen a woman with short hair! Alissia noticed the younger girl's expression, and smiled. "You'll find that most of us don't hold much with the arbitrary morals and values that most society does. We're far too practical. I'm a trick rider for the troupe, and my hair is more of a hindrance than anything else when I'm on a horse. It's always escaping and getting in my eyes, and I don't particularly like the risk of it getting caught in my gear at the wrong moment. While I was still learning my riding tricks, I also had to join the girls who dance. Everyone has to pitch in around here. This season two of the younger girls joined the dancers, so that left me to concentrate on my riding full time. This is only our second stop of the season, and my mother is a bit scandalized. She doesn't think trick riding is something a girl should be doing. She's a singer herself, and when I mentioned that I intended to cut my hair short, she had a bit of a fit, but Father said I was old enough to make my own choices, and she calmed down a bit when I told her it might discourage the townsmen a bit. People tend to think that just because we make our living entertaining others we have no morals at all. It's frustrating sometimes, but I can't imagine any other life."

By this time Helena had found her scissors and Alissia had untied her long hair. Loose, it fell well past her hips. "Dancing girls have to have long hair. The whole point is to look as attractive as possible to the men. The singers are like that as well. We're selling an image as much as any performance we enact. That's another reason I want short hair, it will make me look different, it will make me memorable. Besides being safer and more practical, I want to seem aloof and mysterious to the audiences. People enjoy seeing oddities in a show and a woman who dresses like a man and keeps her hair short is an oddity."

"How short would you like me to cut it?"

"It needs to stay out of my face, and still look attractive when it's been blown all over by my riding. You know how the other riders keep their hair—something like that. I trust your judgment, Aunt Helena."

"Lavinia, come gather up the hair as I cut it. We'll get a bit more length out of it that way, rather than if I simply braided it and cut off the braid, before cleaning up the hairstyle." With that Helena set to work with Alissia's hair, cutting off all but about two to three inches of it. The curly mass left on Alissia's head when Helena was done was messy but not unattractive, even when Helena ruffled her fingers through it. Lavinia was left with a lap full of curly black hair which she tied into a bundle with Alissia's discarded hair tie.

Alissia examined her new hairstyle in Helena's hand mirror. "Thanks Aunt Helena, this is exactly what I wanted."

"Are you coming into town with us tomorrow?" asked Lavinia. She was starting to like this talkative, if somewhat odd girl. Her exuberance reminded Lavinia a bit of her twin brothers: Always friendly and chattery, and always trying one stunt after another, just for the mischief of it.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to, if that's alright with you two, but I'm not sure if Father is going to need me around tomorrow. Marc's been a bit down since his sister Melina ran off. They had a couple of fabulous knife and dagger routines, but I honestly don't miss her a bit. She was a bit obnoxious, and spent way to much time flirting with the locals for her own good. She never really loved the work the way most of the rest of us do, she just saw it as a way to make money and have an adventure at the same time. When the adventure wore off she started looking for some young handsome local she could seduce into marring her and providing her with the comfortable life she thought she deserved. Marc's got a good head on his shoulders, and he enjoys the work more than his sister ever did, but I think he was a bit blind to her attitudes, and she broke his heart when she left. It didn't help that she just upped and took off with out even a proper goodbye. She left him stranded with a two person act and only one performer. He looked so lost that night after he found her note. He's been a bit lost ever since. Father's a bit concerned about him, but we don't have anyone to partner with him."

"Marrin said something about paring me with someone named Marc. One of my brothers taught me to juggle and throw daggers a couple of years ago. I'm probably terribly rusty, but I'm hoping that I can get up to some kind of decent shape fairly quickly."

"That's fabulous! We've got Marc doing some basic juggling and knife tricks right now, but Melina was the real showman. He's actually terribly shy when you put him by himself in front of a crowd. You'll love him though, he's got such a kind heart. I just don't understand how Melina could go and do something like this to him."

"It sounds like someone has a bit of a crush on dear Marc, Alissia," Helena injected.

"Marc and I have started seeing a great deal of each other since last winter. We haven't really gone much farther than kissing, but Father knows about it and we have his full support."

"I see. Good for you then. Marc will probably be good for you. Just promise me you'll wait a few years before you start having kids together, and that you won't keep riding the way you do when you do get pregnant. I want strong, healthy godchildren to spoil rotten."

"I have no intention of having children any time in the near future. You taught me how to keep from getting pregnant when I don't want to, and neither of us are going to be ready to have children for several years at least, no matter how much my mother wants grandchildren."

"So, are you two actually related?" Lavinia asked Alissia, "you keep calling Helena 'Aunt?'"

"No, we're not actually related. Aunt Helena helped my father out of a bit of trouble shortly before I was born, and he asked her to join the troupe and be my godmother shortly after that. She's been with the troupe off and on for the past sixteen years. Sometimes she stays for a month or two, some times she spends a season with us. She's wintered with us twice, and she's never been gone for more than four years. I know of at least three cottages or houses she owns, in different towns or villages, but we have always considered her one of us. She's family, and because of her, you're family too now, Lavinia Brightstar."

"What?" Lavinia looked from Alissia to Helena with confusion. Helena answered her.

"Child, you're not just an apprentice, you're something of an adopted daughter. You are using the name I gave you and became my daughter when you accepted my claim on you."

"Oh. Well, I'm alright with that, I guess, just a bit surprised."

"So, who were you before you fell in with us?" Alissia asked. "We've got plenty of time to talk before the townsfolk clear out for the evening."

"I was a baker's daughter, in Lower Gerrik. I had two older brothers and three younger ones. Oh, and I had a brand new baby sister, as well. We were all exceptionally normal, or I thought we were until a few days ago. Other than Edmund's secret knife juggling lessons, I was the perfect daughter. I was good at embroidery, and was generally kept close to home. I found out that my parents had started husband shopping for me on my birthday, when Helena came for me."

"Husband shopping? You can't be more than thirteen or so!"

"Twelve. Girls marry young in the country. It's supposed to keep us out of mischief, I think, whatever _that_ means."

"But then how old are the husbands?"

"Oh, boys don't get married until they finish their apprenticeship, at least. My oldest brother, Adrian, is 18, and he's courting the local tailor and weaver's daughter. Phoebe's fifteen. She's actually one of my best friends. The two of us got together last summer with a couple of other girls from the village and had a booth at the fair in Upper Gerrik. I sold some of my embroidery, she had several small rugs and tapestries she had woven, and a couple other girls had some lace they had been working on. It was great fun, and we all took turns minding the booth. Of course, my parents took most of the money I made from the whole thing, but it was fun."

"You didn't get to keep what you earned? That's outrageous!"

"Country people tend to view daughters more as property than as individual people, Alissia," Helena interjected. "Fortunately I managed to snag Lavinia before her parents sold her off to the Sheriff's youngest son, or someone else equally disgusting. She's far to intelligent for that."

"Welcome to a better life, Lavinia. I'm sure you'll love it here." With that Alissia grabbed the younger girl in a friendly hug, and ended up knocking the both of them over onto the floor of the tent, where they sprawled in a tangle of arms and legs. Giggling, they managed to extricate themselves and then spent the next hour chattering. Alissia decided to try to convince Marc to come into town with them the next day, in an attempt to cheer him up. When the sounds of the show outside died down, and they heard the townsfolk depart, the three women made their way out of the tent, and to the cooking fire that most of the tents were clustered around.


	5. Dawn of a new Day

Chapter 5: Dawn of a new Day

Lavinia's head was spinning by the time she made it back to the tent she was sharing with Helena. She wasn't sure if it was from the ale she had been given to drink, or if it was from her failing attempt to sort out the members of the band of traveling gypsy performers that all seemed to be related in one way or another. She was also quite sure that her mother would be utterly horrified by the company she was keeping. She didn't care. Yes, she missed her brothers, but she knew that they would be envious of her current predicament—provided she ever saw them again.

Alissia was the youngest girl traveling with the troupe other than Lavinia herself, was four years older than Lavinia and was considered mostly an adult and able to take care of herself. The only two other people in the group who were younger than seventeen were the two youngest of the four Brightdawn brothers who had a tumbling act. The youngest, age ten, was named Claudio, and the next oldest was Serpens, who was fifteen.

Beyond those closest to her own age, Lavinia was still a bit confused by the mass of Sparrowstars, Reddawns, Brightdawns, and others she had met. She had first met Marc, who she would be working with to develop several juggling routines. The only others who stood out in her sleepy mind were Coralin, Marrin's wife and Tamora, his mother. Coralin was a motherly type, who apparently had a beautiful singing voice, but who's main function in the troup seemed to be helping her mother in law make sure everyone got fed. Coralin dispersed stew, ale, and hugs in equal measure to the troupe throughout the night's meeting.

Tamora Sparrowstar, in contrast to her daughter-in-law, was a very reserved and dignified woman. As Marrin's mother she held a great deal of authority in the troupe. She also had a sore throat that night, and could scarcely be heard.

Helena shooed Lavinia into her bed roll for the night, and promised to wake her early enough for breakfast.

--------------

Helena woke Lavinia shortly after dawn the next morning. The first thing she did was give Lavinia a wooden ring with carvings that matched the ones on her trunk.

"Here, put this on. It's actually your trunk. I've made it so that only you can take it off, and to restore it to it's trunk state, you just have to take the ring off and then will it into it's other state. It can be stolen from you whenever you aren't wearing it, so keep it on, unless you need something from it. It's fairly indestructible in ring form as well, even thought it still looks like wood."

"Thank you!" Lavinia exclaimed as she slipped the ring on her finger. It fit her perfectly.

"The nice thing about a wooden trunk is that a wooden ring doesn't look terribly suspicious on a peasant, or a performer. You will need a bit of jewelry though, if we're going to be traveling with a band of gypsies. Now, let's get dressed, find some breakfast and head into town. We have until about noon until we have to be back. Dress casually. We'll try to blend in while we're in town."

"Sure, just give me a few minutes."

Breakfast was a casual affair, made up primarily of an oat porridge with a bit of honey in it and some dried apples from the previous winter. Marc and Alissia joined Lavinia and Helena for breakfast.

Mark had with him a rolled up canvas bundle, and a stack of folded clothing with him, which he gave to Lavinia after they had finished eating.

"Here, Lavinia," Marc offered, "these were my sister's. Since she won't be needing them anymore, I thought you might put them to good use. Most of that is performance costume, and matches stuff that I've got."

There were four shirts. One was white silk with red embroidery on the collar and cuffs. The cuffs were especially deep, designed to fit closely to the lower arm and extend halfway up to the elbow. There was a pair of black wool breeches with red stitching down the side seams, to match the shirt, and a matching hip length vest that laced up the back. Lavinia could tell that she would have to take the breeches and vest in a bit, but the length wasn't too far off her own size.

Also in the bundle was a pair of suede breeches, much like the ones that Marc was wearing that morning. They were a plain dark brown, and fairly fitted. She knew that she didn't have the skills to size them herself. She would hang on to them until they fit her, or she found someone who could size them down. There were three other shirts that had been cut in the same style as the white one. They were all made from linen, and were dyed green, black and red respectively. None of them had any decorative stitch work on them. There were also three sashes in the bundle: a red one, a black one and a purple one, and a couple of hair scarves.

Next there were two pairs of plain wool breeches. These were cut a little looser, and looked like they had been made more for comfort than looks. The first pair was grey and the second was brown.

At the bottom of the pile were two skirts and a pair of knee high black boots. Both skirts looked like they would be closer to knee than ankle length on Lavinia. The first was made from the same black wool as the first pair of breeches, and had the same decorative stitching. The second skirt was made from the brown suede. The boots fit Lavinia surprisingly well, considering they were second hand. They were a bit long in the toe, but Lavinia said she could stuff them with something, and that they were quite comfortable.

Helena considered the pile of clothing as Marc looked on a bit anxiously. "I think you should stick to the skirts for now, for performances. You should have plenty of time to pull that vest in to fit you by the time the two of you have an act worked out though."

"Alright. Aren't the skirts a bit short though?"

"That's why it's a costume, dear. Besides, you'd find it hard to work in a longer skirt.

The canvas bundle opened to be a complete set of knives. There were a dozen small throwing knives, as many six pointed throwing stars, four medium sized daggers, two larger daggers… and a sword.

"A sword! I can't use a sword!"

"Well, maybe not for a few years," replied Marc. "but when you're a little older: Melina and I had a really great routine with swords. Don't worry about it for now. I promise we can start slow."

Lavinia responded with a weak smile.

"Are you two coming into town with us?" Helena asked.

"No," Alissia replied, "too many chores to do."

"What about you, Marc?"

"Sure, I've got some errands to run, and Laurena gave me a list of herbs and spices to look for."

--------------

The three of them made their way into town on foot after Lavinia had stashed her new clothing and weapons in the tent she was sharing with Helena. Once they got into the center of town, Helena went in search of a wiggery, while Lavinia followed Marc in and out of spice shops. She learned that Laurena was the healer for the troupe and was married to Marrin's youngest brother.

Helena caught up with them later in the morning. Their last two stops were at a chandler's shop—for candles, lamp oil, and soap—and a coppersmith's stall, where Helena purchased a small lamp and a candleholder that was formed in the shape of an apple leaf, although it was nearly as long as Lavinia's hand.

When they returned to camp, Marc went off in search of Laurena, while Lavinia and Helena returned to their tent. Helena handed a pouch of coins to Lavinia.

"This is yours, dear. Put it away in your trunk where it will be safe."

Lavinia opened the pouch to reveal more than a dozen gold pieces.

"Oh, my goodness! This is really mine?"

"Yes, dear. The the young man in the wiggery who I sold your braid to was almost desperate for golden blond hair. Apparently the sheriff's wife put in an order for a wig and she's terribly fussy about color. He said he was going spare trying to find someone whose hair was the right color, and was willing to sell him enough length. He gave me a good price for Alissia's as well. Now, why don't you put on that red embroidered skirt of yours, and the matching blouse and vest. Today you'll just help collect coins from the audience. Let your hair down, and then tie it back with a scarf. I'll see if I've got a necklace or two you can wear."

Lavinia did as she was told and changed into what she thought of as her festival clothing. She was just finishing tying a scarf on her head when Helena ceased her rummaging.

"Ah, here we go. Put these on."

Helena handed Lavinia a short strand of oblong black glass beads interspersed with little round amber ones. There was also a brass chain with red glass beads set in at various points and a black cord with small copper coins on it to go around Lavinia's waist. Helena herself had also changed and was now wearing long brown dress with an assortment of colorful scarves and shawls wrapped or tied around her waist, shoulders, neck and head. She was also wearing a number of odd looking necklaces made from all different materials, and had more than a dozen bracelets on her wrists. She also wore a pair of gold hoop earrings, and an anklet with bells that jangled with every step she took. Her hair was completely hidden under her scarves and she had used some kind of black substance around her eyes. Lavinia thought she looked a bit scary.

"Alright, youngling, let's go find something to eat, and then see how many coins we can con out of the locals."


	6. Four Years Later

Chapter 6: Four Years Later

Lavinia Brightstar looked around the tent that had been her home for the last four years. Still thinking how empty it felt. The first three years of travels with the Sparrowstar Troupe she had shared this tent with her mentor and adoptive mother Helena. The mother who had been missing for a year.

Lavinia had changed in the last four years. She had spent most of that time with the Sparrowstar troupe of traveling players. Lavinia the knife thrower was a far cry from Celia the baker's daughter. Her hair was still the same golden blond it had always been, and her eyes were a brilliant blue, though they had lost much of the innocence they carried when she was still a child. She thought, however, that few people that knew her in her home village would recognize her now. For one thing she was quite tall. At sixteen she was significantly taller than most girls her age, and was nearly as tall as most of the boys. She spent most of her days wearing breeches—a rather scandalous practice by most people's standards—rather than skirts, and filled her days earning her keep in the troupe as part of a rather impressive three man knife and sword throwing act. She was sure that the same giggling housewives who threw copper in her basket during shows would refuse to welcome her to their tidy, proper dinner tables. Lavinia was used to the looks of distain she garnered in towns when she was not performing. Those looks only intensified when Allisia, Lavinia's best friend, was with her. A woman who dressed like a man was bad enough, one who also wore her hair short, surely had to be an agent of some kind of evil magic. The funny thing was that Allisia was no more a practitioner of magics than any of those gossiping housewives. It was Lavinia who was studying magic.

Allisia had stayed with the clan this year. She had married Marc two years ago, and was now pregnant with their first child, who was due in the fall.

Lavinia shared her act with Allisia's husband, Marc, and a boy her own age who had joined the troupe last year. Cadar Sparrowstar was the youngest son of one of Marrin's cousins and had decided to join the troupe rather than raising horses with his father and brothers. The players wintered with the Sparrowstar clan, and helped supplement the clan's main income as horse breeders.

Helena had left the troupe shortly after they started their touring season last year. Rumors had reached the clan that Helena's brother Alonzo was still looking for her, and was getting rather close, so Helena left her charge with the troupe and left to see if she could shake the dark sorcerer. She was supposed to try to meet the troupe at the beginning of this season, in Audenburg, or at least try to get word to them, but there was no news. Now, in the town of Lower Ford, Lavinia received a message that someone was waiting for her with news of her mother at the inn of the Grouchy Bear.

Lavinia made her way to the inn shortly after sundown. The show wouldn't start for another hour, and Marc had told her that he and Cadar could get along just fine without her if her meeting went long. Lavinia didn't know what to expect. She was dressed for comfort in plain breeches, a shirt, vest, and a comfortable pair of boots. Over these she was openly armed with a sword and dagger, she also had several other knives scattered about her person. She also wore a forest green wool cloak.

The interior of the inn was clean, but not particularly well lit. Lavinia pushed back her hood as she looked around, hoping that whoever wanted to talk to her was already there. A man at a back corner table waved her over.

The man was perhaps a merchant of some kind. His clothing was well made in dark colors, of good fabrics, but with minimal adornment. He himself seemed to be a tall man, though it was hard to judge how tall, as he remained seated. He had fair skin, compared to Lavinia's own sun darkened complexion, but had dark hair and eyes. Lavinia thought his eyes looked hard and cold.

"Lavinia Brightstar?" His voice was deep and smooth, and had a pleasant quality that seemed charming enough held an undercurrent of cruelty and superiority the gave Lavinia the shivers.

"Yes, you have a message for me?"

"Helena regrets that she can't join you, but requests that you join her instead."

At this Lavinia was somewhat alarmed. Helena had specifically stated that she would come and retrieve Lavinia herself.

"Where is she?"

"She's been detained in Ottorford. She asked me to bring you there. My name is Daminin. I'm an old friend of Helena's."

"Oh, I see. What is she doing in Ottorford?"

"I'm not sure precisely, she simply asked me to come fetch you. There wasn't much time. Would you like something to eat before we retrieve your things? I have rooms for tonight and then we can leave in the morning. The food here is surprisingly good. I ate while I was waiting for you."

"That sounds like a plan."

Daminin waived a server over and soon after, Lavinia was presented with a steaming bowl of beef stew and several slices of fresh bread, along with a cup of the dark wine Daminin was drinking. As Daminin claimed, the food was excellent. As Lavinia finished her wine, she slumped quietly to the floor. She had only a vague impression of Daminin picking her up and carrying her out of the inn.

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Author's Notes.

I would like to thank those of you who gave me a review for this story so far. I appreciate getting feedback on how i'm doing. The first five chapters were what I had already had written when I first posted the story. I'll try to get out at least a chapter or two a month, but I make no promises, considering the fact that there are other things that take up much of my time, such as a job, school, and the like. I also probably won't go back and make many changes in the story as it is posted until the story is completed. Once the strory is completed, then I will go back and make revisions. I also have at least two more storys about Lavinia running around in my head that will find their way onto the web once Lavinia deals with her current problems.


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